Brief information about the pyramids. Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops and the history of the Egyptian pyramids

1. The three most famous Egyptian pyramids are those in the Giza Necropolis, but in fact, approximately 140 pyramids have been discovered in the area of ​​ancient Egypt.

2. The oldest Egyptian pyramid is the Pyramid of Djoser, which was built in the Necropolis of Saqqara in the 27th century BC.

3. While the Pyramid of Djoser is considered the oldest, the Pyramid of Cheops is the largest. The original height of the pyramid was 146.5 meters, and the current height is 138.8 meters.

4. Until Lincoln Cathedral of Our Lady was built in England in 1311, the Great Pyramid of Giza held the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world. She held the record for at least three thousand years!

5. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders. Ancient World and the last one in existence.

6. Estimates of the number of workers involved in the construction of the pyramids vary greatly, however, it is likely that at least 100,000 people built them.

7. The Pyramids of Giza are guarded by the Great Sphinx, the largest monolithic sculpture in the world. It is believed that the face of the Sphinx was given a resemblance to the face of Pharaoh Khafre.

8. All Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile River, which is the place where the sun sets and is associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology.

9. The ancient Egyptians buried their noble citizens in pyramids with funerary gifts that ranged from household items to the most expensive items such as jewelry. They believed that the dead would use them in the afterlife.

10. The earliest known architect of the pyramids was Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian polymath, engineer and physician. He is considered the author of the first major pyramid - the Pyramid of Djoser.

11. While experts generally agree on the hypothesis that the pyramids were built from huge stones cut with copper chisels in quarries, the methods used to move and fold them are still the subject of heated debate and speculation.

12. Another relatively obvious fact is that the methods used to build the pyramids evolved over time. The pyramids of the later period were built differently from the earliest pyramids.

13. After the end of the period of pyramid building in ancient Egypt, an outbreak of pyramid building began in the territory of modern Sudan.

14. In the 12th century, an attempt was made to destroy the pyramids of Giza. Al-Aziz, the Kurdish ruler and second sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty, tried to demolish them, but he had to give up, as the task was too large-scale. However, he managed to damage the Pyramid of Menkaure, where his attempts left a vertical gaping pit in its northern slope.

15. The three pyramids of Giza are precisely aligned with the constellation of Orion, which may well have been the intention of the builders, since the stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the god of rebirth and the underworld in ancient Egyptian mythology.

16. According to estimates, the Great Pyramid of Giza consists of 2,300,000 stone blocks that weigh from 2 to 30 tons, and some of them even reach a weight of more than 50 tons.

17. Initially, the pyramids were covered with facing stones made of well-polished white limestone. These stones reflected the light of the sun and made the pyramids shine like precious stones.

18. When facing stones covered the pyramids, they could be seen from the mountains in Israel and maybe even from the moon.

19. Despite the wild heat around the pyramids, the temperature in the pyramids themselves actually remains relatively constant and stays around 20 degrees Celsius.

21. The Pyramid of Cheops was built facing north. In fact, it is the most carefully north-aligned structure in the world. Even though it was built millennia ago, the pyramid still faces north, with only a slight margin of error. However, the error occurred because the N Pole is gradually shifting, which means that at one time the pyramid was pointing exactly north.

22. On average, each pyramid took 200 years to build. This means that often several pyramids were built at once, and not one pyramid.

23. One of the reasons why the pyramids are so well preserved is the unique cement mortar. It is stronger than real stone, but we still don't know how they prepared it.

24. Contrary to popular belief, the pyramids were most likely not built by slaves or prisoners. They were built by ordinary workers who received wages.

25. Although many people associate pyramids with hieroglyphs, no inscriptions or hieroglyphs have been found in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

We begin a series of stories about the wonders of antiquity, today I will tell you about the largest of the Egyptian pyramids - the Pyramid of Cheops, located in Giza. It is also called the Pyramid of Khufu, or simply the Great Pyramid.

This is the oldest of the seven wonders of the world, moreover, perfectly preserved to our times, unlike Colossus of Rhodes or Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty of the Egyptian pharaoh Cheops. The construction of the pyramid lasted about 20 years and was completed in 2560 BC. The giant pyramid, 146.5 meters high, was the largest structure in the world for more than 4 millennia, which is an absolute record that is unlikely to ever be broken. Initially, it was completely covered with smooth stone, which crumbled over time. There are many scientific and alternative theories about the methods of building a large pyramid, from alien intervention to generally accepted ones, based on the fact that huge blocks of stone were moved from quarries by special mechanisms

Inside the pyramid of Cheops there are three chambers - tombs. The lowest one is carved into the base of the rock on which the pyramid is built. For unknown reasons, its construction was not completed. Above it are the chamber of the Queen and the chamber of the Pharaoh. The Great Pyramid is the only one in Egypt where there are both ascending and descending corridors. She is the central key element of the Giza complex, around which several more pyramids were built for the wives of the pharaoh, as well as other temples and tombs.


The Great Pyramid consists of approximately 2.3 million stone blocks. The largest stones were found in the pharaoh's chamber, and weigh 25-80 tons each. These granite blocks were delivered from a quarry at a distance of almost 1000 kilometers. According to general estimates, 5.5 million tons of limestone and 8,000 tons of granite were spent on the construction of the pyramid.


Let us turn to the theories of pyramid construction, many of which often contradict each other. Scientists can never agree on whether the blocks were dragged, or rolled, or carried at all. The Greeks believed that it was used Slave work million Egyptians, while modern research has proven that several tens of thousands of skilled workers worked on the construction, divided into teams according to their qualifications and skills

Initially, the entrance to the pyramid was at a height of 15.63 meters (#1 in the diagram below), with north side, assembled from stone slabs in the form of arches. Later, it was closed up with granite blocks, making a new passage 17 meters high (#2 on the diagram). This passage was carved in 820 by Caliph Abu Ja'far, in an attempt to plunder the pyramid (it is worth noting that he never found any treasures). Currently, it is through it that tourists get inside the pyramid.

Below is a sectional diagram of the pyramid, where all corridors and chambers are marked:

Immediately after entering the inside of the pyramid, a descending corridor 105 meters long (No. 4 on the diagram above) begins, flowing into a small horizontal corridor leading to the lower chamber (No. 5 on the map). A narrow hole leads from the chamber, ending in a dead end. as well as a small well 3 meters deep. As mentioned above, for some reason this chamber was left unfinished, and the main chambers were later built higher, in the very center of the pyramid.

An ascending passage goes up from the descending corridor, at the same angle of 26.5 °. Its length is 40 meters and it leads to the Great Gallery (No. 9 on the diagram), from where there are passages to the pharaoh's chamber (No. 10) and the queen's chamber (No. 7).

At the very beginning of the large gallery, a narrow, almost vertical chamber was hollowed out, with a small extension in the middle, which is called the Grotto (No. 12). Presumably, the grotto already existed before the construction of the pyramid, as a separate structure.

From the Chamber of the Pharaoh and the Chamber of the Queen, ventilation ducts 20 centimeters wide diverge evenly, in the direction to the north and south. The purpose of these channels is unknown - either they were used specifically for ventilation, or the traditional ideas of the Egyptians about the afterlife are associated with them.

There is an opinion that the ancient Egyptians were fluent in geometry, and knew about the "number of Pi" and the "Golden Section", which was reflected in the proportions of the Cheops pyramid and the angle of inclination. The same angle of inclination was used for the pyramid at Meidum. But it is possible that this is a mere accident, since such an angle was not repeated anywhere else, all subsequent pyramids had other angles of inclination. Particularly fanatical supporters of mystical theories suggest that it was this pyramid that was built by representatives of alien civilizations, and the rest were really built by the Egyptians trying to copy it

According to some astronomers, the Great Pyramid is an astronomical observatory of the ancient Egyptians, as the corridors and ventilation ducts accurately point to the stars Tuban, Sirius and Alnitak. Opponents of this theory argue that this is a mere coincidence. During excavations near the pyramid, pits were found with ancient Egyptian boats made of cedar without the use of nails and fasteners. This boat was dismantled into 1224 parts, which were assembled by the restorer Ahmed Youssouf Mustafa, which took him 14 years. Currently on south side pyramids, a museum has been opened where you can see this boat (the museum building itself in the photo below looks quite original, it is worth noting), as well as buy a lot of souvenirs

It is currently the most visited tourist attraction in Egypt. You can read more about other ancient wonders in the article " Seven ancient wonders of the world"

I want to summarize all the information about the most famous Egyptian pyramids, collected on LifeGlobe, into a single collection. Naturally, here I will describe only the largest pyramids, with links to a separate article about each of them. In detailed topics you will find both their coordinates and more detailed description. There are 118 pyramids in Egypt different shapes, size and height, but we will start, of course, with the trinity of the Great Egyptian Pyramids at Giza. It is these structures on the Giza plateau that are included in the list of the seven ancient wonders of the world, although, in addition to Giza, there are many pyramids in other parts of Egypt.

The first number in our review will be the Great Pyramid of Cheops, which is known anywhere in the world. It is she who is the face of the Egyptian pyramids and the largest building of antiquity, giving rise to many secrets and legends around her. The construction of the pyramid took two whole decades and was completed in 2560 BC.

With a height of 146.5 meters, it was the largest building in the world for over 4 millennia. I have been collecting material about the Great Pyramid for a long time in a separate article, at the link above you can learn more about it.

The second most important is the pyramid of Khafre, the son of Cheops. It was built on a 10-meter plateau, because it seems to be higher than the pyramid of Cheops, but it is not. Its height is 136.4 meters, while that of Cheops is 146.5 meters.


Not far from the pyramid of Khafre is the Great Sphinx - a monument carved into the rock. The facial features of the Sphinx repeat the face of Pharaoh Khafre.

The third great pyramid is the Pyramid of Menkaure. It is the smallest of them, and built the latest. In height, it is only 66 meters, and the length of the base is 108.4 meters.

Despite its small size, it is considered to be the most beautiful of the three pyramids. In addition, the pyramid of Menkaure marked the end of the era of the great pyramids. All subsequent buildings were small in size.

On this Egyptian pyramids do not end, we move from Giza to other parts of Egypt. One of the largest in Egypt is the step pyramid of Djoser. It is located in the village of Sakkara, and was built for Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep himself. It occupies an area of ​​125 by 115 meters, and its height is 62 meters. This is the first pyramid in Egypt, and also very well preserved.

The most unusual in form can be safely called the pyramid in Medum. It is located 100 kilometers south of the capital of Egypt, it was built for Pharaoh Huni, but his son Sneferu completed it. It originally had 8 steps, but in our time only the last 3 are visible. After construction, its height was 118 meters, and the area was 146 by 146 meters.

The Pink Pyramid is unusual in that it has a pink hue due to the special stone used for its construction. This is the third highest pyramid after Cheops and Khafre, 104.4 meters high. Researchers believe that this pyramid was also built by Pharaoh Sneferu, already known to us.

Not far from the Pink one is the Bent Pyramid, built in the 26th century. BC e. She got her name because of the irregular shape. See for yourself, it was built in 3 stages, at each of which it was given different angles slope:

I have described the largest and most famous Egyptian pyramids, now let's move on to smaller specimens. A later building is the pyramid of Userkaf at Saqqara, not far from the pyramid of Djoser. It has been preserved very poorly, therefore only the initial data can be given: its height is 49.4 meters, the length at the base is 73.30 meters.

Not far from Saqqara, in Abusir, is the pyramid of the pharaoh of the 5th dynasty Sahure. In the likeness of this pyramid, all subsequent complexes of the pharaohs of this dynasty were built. Unfortunately, this pyramid has survived to this day in a rather poor condition.

Let's finish our review of the most outstanding Egyptian pyramids with the pyramid of Unas in Saqqara. It is notable for the fact that the very first "Pyramid Texts" were discovered here - ancient hieroglyphs on the walls of the burial chamber. Many scholars are still deciphering these texts.

general information

Among the Egyptian pyramids there are huge and more modest scales, with a smooth surface and stepped ones, which are very well preserved and resemble a pile of ruins. They can be observed in Saqqara and Memphis, Khawara and Upper Egypt, Medum and Abusir, El Lahun and Abu Ravash. However, only a few are considered the main tourist sites, namely the pyramids in Giza, a suburb of the Egyptian capital, erected, as is commonly believed, during the reign of the IV-VI dynasties of the pharaohs, which fell on the XXVI-XXIII centuries BC. e.

Looking at these grandiose creations of human hands, one involuntarily thinks: how much time and effort was spent on the construction of such structures, which seem - at least in their scale - absolutely useless. Either the pharaohs who ruled 45 centuries ago thereby wanted to emphasize their own divinity and the greatness of their era, or these structures contain a certain hidden meaning, which is still beyond our understanding. But it is difficult to comprehend it, because the secrets are securely hidden under the layer of millennia, and we have no choice but to build guesses and versions, hoping that sooner or later all the secret will definitely become clear ...

Secrets of the Egyptian pyramids

The Egyptian pyramids are shrouded in a halo of myths and secrets, and with the passage of time and the development of science, there are still more questions than answers. As the proverb says: "Everything in the world is afraid of time, but time itself is afraid of the pyramids." Interest is fueled by various theories about the appearance of these majestic monuments. Fans of the mystical consider the pyramids to be powerful energy sources and believe that the pharaohs spent time in them not only after death, but also during their lifetime in order to draw strength. There are also completely incredible ideas: for example, some believe that the Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens, and others that the blocks were moved by people who own a magic crystal. Let's look at the generally accepted and most likely scenario.

Religion in life ancient egypt occupied dominant position. It shaped both the worldview of the people and their entire culture. Death was perceived only as a transition to another world, so preparation for it had to take place ahead of time, even during earthly life. However, the privilege of remaining "immortal" was, as it was believed, only with the pharaoh and members of his family. And he, at his own discretion, could bestow it on his entourage. Commoners were deprived of the right to an afterlife, with the exception of servants and slaves, whom the powerful ruler "took" with him. Nothing should have interfered with the comfortable "existence" of a high-ranking deceased, so he was supplied with everything necessary - food supplies, household utensils, weapons, servants.

At first, the rulers were buried in special "houses after life", and in order for the body of the pharaoh to be preserved for centuries, he was embalmed. These early burial buildings - mastabas - date back to the period of the first dynasties. They consisted of an underground burial chamber and an above-ground part in the form of a stone structure, where chapels were equipped and grave goods were located. In section, these tombs resembled a trapezoid. They were built in Abydos, Nagadei, Upper Egypt. The main necropolis of the then capital of the first dynasties - the city of Memphis - was located in Saqqara.

Actually, pyramidal tombs began to be erected about 5 thousand years ago. The initiator of their construction was Pharaoh Djoser (or Necherihet), the first in the III dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The construction of the necropolis named after this ruler was led by the supreme dignitary and famous architect of his time, Imhotep, who was almost equated with a deity. If we discard all the fantastic versions about the contacts of the then rulers with aliens and proceed from the fact that these structures were nevertheless built by people on their own, then the scale of work, their laboriousness cannot but impress. Experts tried to establish their chronology and nature, and here are the results they came up with. Since the pyramids are made of stone blocks, the question immediately arose: where and how were they mined? It turned out, in the rocks ...

Having marked out in rock shape and hollowing out the grooves, dry trees were inserted into them, which were watered with water. From moisture, they expanded and created cracks in the rock, facilitating the process of excavating blocks. Then they were immediately, on the spot, subjected to processing with tools and, giving desired shape, sent by river to the construction site. But how did the Egyptians lift these heavy masses up? First, they were loaded onto wooden sleigh and pulled out along gentle embankments. By modern standards, such technologies look backward. However, the quality of work is highest level! The megaliths are so closely adjacent to each other that there are practically no mismatches.

The Pyramid of Djoser, located in Saqqara, is considered the very first pyramid in Egypt and the oldest of such large stone structures surviving in the world (its size is 125 by 115 meters with a height of 62 meters). It was built in 2670 BC. e. and has the appearance of a building with six huge lined steps. Because of so unusual shape in those distant times it was called the "false pyramid". The pyramid of Djoser began to attract the attention of travelers since the Middle Ages, and this interest has not dried up to this day.

The architect initially did not plan to build such a pyramid. The stepped tomb became in the process of construction. In the presence of steps, a symbolic meaning is clearly guessed: the deceased pharaoh was supposed to ascend to heaven along them. This structure differed from previous necropolises in that it was built of stone, not brick. And one more feature: the presence of a very wide and deep vertical shaft, closed from above by a dome. In the pyramids built later, there is nothing of the kind. Of no less interest to archaeologists and Egyptologists are the marble fragments under the sarcophagus, on which carved images resembling stars are visible. These are clearly fragments of some unknown structure, but no one knows exactly which one.

The Pyramid of Djoser was intended not only for himself, and in this it also differs from other similar structures. In the burial chambers, there are only 12 of them, the ruler and members of his family were buried. Archaeologists discovered the mummy of an 8-9-year-old boy, apparently a son. But the body of the pharaoh himself could not be found. Perhaps he owned the mummified heel found here. Even in ancient times, it is believed that robbers entered the tomb, probably abducting its dead "owner" as well.

However, the version of the robbery does not seem so unambiguous. When examining the inner galleries, gold jewelry, porphyry bowls, clay and stone jugs and other valuables were found. Why didn't the thieves carry all this wealth? Historians were also interested in the seals affixed to small clay vessels. The name “Sekemhet” was written on them, translated as “mighty in body”. It clearly belonged to an unknown pharaoh of one of the powerful dynasties. Everything indicated that in ancient times the construction of another pyramid was started here, but for some reason it was not completed. They even found an empty sarcophagus, the internal state of which allowed us to conclude that no one was buried here ...

As for the pyramid of Djoser itself, the attraction has been well preserved to this day and is open to tourists. The entrance to it, as well as to other structures on the territory, is located on the north side. A tunnel equipped with columns leads inside. The northern temple, whose location on the ground is clear from the name itself, forms a single architectural ensemble with the pyramid. Funeral services were held in it and sacrifices were made in the name of the pharaoh.

Egyptian pyramids at Giza

The most famous among all the Egyptian pyramids are the so-called great pyramids, located in Giza - the third largest city in the modern Arab Republic of Egypt, with a population of almost 3 million people. The metropolis is located on the west bank of the Nile, about 20 km from Cairo and is actually a suburb of the capital.

The Great Pyramids of Giza are by far the most popular ancient monuments in the country. For many years, visiting them has become almost a ritual for tourists. Fly to Egypt and not see these majestic structures with your own eyes? This is unimaginable! Many travelers even consider this place spiritual, connected with the cosmos, and visiting here becomes akin to some kind of healing. Recent studies have shown that the builders of the necropolises pointed them surprisingly accurately to the belt of the constellation Orion, in which there is an as yet unrevealed meaning. It is also interesting that their faces are oriented to the sides of the sun, and this is done with the same accuracy.

The Egyptian pyramids at Giza are undoubtedly an extremely impressive sight. Their sandstone facades reflect sunlight: they are pink in the morning, golden in the afternoon and turn dark purple at dusk. It is impossible not to admire the feat of engineering and organization that resulted in millions of stone blocks being transported from one place to another and accurately stacked on top of each other without power plants or lifting equipment.

The complex of the great pyramids is made up of the tombs of the three most ancient rulers - Cheops, Khafre and Mykerin. Unlike the previous "houses after life" (makabs), these necropolises have a strict pyramidal shape. Moreover, the first of them is the only one of the seven wonders of the world that have survived to this day.

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)

You can talk about the pyramid of Cheops (or Khufu) for a long time, but the story will be incomplete in any case, because it continues to keep many unsolved secrets. One of them is the direction to the North Pole exactly along the meridian: with its top, the monumental structure “looks” at polar star. It is amazing how the ancient architects could make such accurate calculations without modern astronomical instruments. This accuracy has even less error than the famous Paris Observatory.

Cheops, the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty of Ancient Egypt, who reigned for 27 years, has the glory of a cruel and despotic ruler. He literally exhausted the resources of his kingdom, directing them to the construction of the pyramid. He was also merciless to his people, forcing them to overwork on the construction of his posthumous "dwelling". The Great Pyramid was built in three stages, as evidenced by the corresponding number of chambers. The first, its area is 8 by 14 meters, was carved deep into the rock, the second (5.7 x 5.2 m) - under the top of the pyramid. The third chamber - it is the only one of them completed - and became the tomb of the pharaoh. Special mention should be made of her. It stretches 10.4 m from west to east, and 5.2 m from south to north. Granite slabs, with which the room is lined, fit perfectly to each other. Nine monolithic blocks form the ceiling, their total weight is 400 tons.

Each cell has its own “hallway” connected to adjacent shaft corridors. At first, the entrance to the tomb was located on the north side and was located above the base at a height of 25 meters. Currently, you can enter the pyramid from another place, and this entrance is not so high. The builders could hardly have imagined that after several thousand years their brainchild would become a tourist attraction, so the 40-meter corridor was made not only narrow, but also low. Numerous tourists have to overcome it by crouching. The corridor ends wooden stairs. It leads to the same low room, which is the center of the entire necropolis.

The height of the pyramid of Cheops is more than 146 meters - this is the "growth" of a 50-story skyscraper. After the Great Chinese wall it is she who is the largest structure ever erected in all of human history. The attraction is not in "loneliness", there are several other buildings around it. Of these, only three companion pyramids and the ruins of the mortuary temple have survived to this day. Obviously, no less effort was made to build them. According to the most common version, the companion pyramids were intended for the wives of the ruler.

Pyramid of Khafre (Khafra)

A pharaoh named Khafre was either the son or brother of Cheops and reigned after him. His pyramid, located nearby, is somewhat smaller, however, at first glance, it is perceived as more significant. And all because it stands on some elevation. The pyramid of Khafre was found during archaeological excavations in 1860. The tomb of this ancient Egyptian ruler is “guarded” by the famous Sphinx, which looks like a lion lying on the sand, whose face may have been given the features of Khafre himself. Being the oldest of the monumental sculptures preserved on our planet (its length is 72 m, height is 20 m), it is interesting in itself. Egyptologists tend to think that the tombs of the two pharaohs, together with the sphinx, represent a single burial complex. Slaves, it is believed, were not involved in the construction of this pyramid: free workers were hired for this purpose ...

Top of Khafre's pyramid

Pyramid of Menkaure (Menkaure)

And finally, the pyramid of Menkaure is the third in the complex of great monuments of Giza. Also known as the Pyramid of Menkaure, it bears the name of the fifth pharaoh of the fourth ancient Egyptian dynasty. Little is known about this ruler - only that he was the son of Cheops (at least, the ancient Greek historian Herodotus claimed so). This necropolis is called the "younger brother" of the two aforementioned tombs: it was built later than the others and the lowest of them, its height is slightly more than 65 meters. Such a modest size testifies to the decline of the ancient kingdom, the lack of resources necessary for the construction.

However, the monumentality of the structure as such did not suffer from this. For example, the weight of one of the blocks used in the construction of the mortuary temple exceeds 200 tons, which makes it the heaviest on the Giza plateau. Just imagine what inhuman efforts had to be made to put this colossus in place. And the majestic statue of the pharaoh himself, seated inside the temple! It is one of the largest sculptures embodying that mysterious era ... The destruction of the entire historical and architectural complex in Giza, conceived by Sultan al-Malik al-Aziz, who ruled at the end of the 12th century, could begin from the pyramid of Mikerin, as the smallest. The dismantling of the necropolis lasted about a year, but the practical result was minimal. The Sultan was eventually forced to turn them off, because his, frankly, stupid and unjustified undertaking entailed exorbitant costs.

Sphinx

At the base of the sacred causeway that once connected the pyramid of Khafre with the Nile, there is the Sphinx - a mysterious sculpture with the head of Khafre attached to a lion's body. In Egyptian mythology, sphinxes were guardian deities, and this sculpture is a protective monument 73 m long and 20 m high. After the death of the pharaoh, the body of the Sphinx was gradually covered with desert sands. Thutmose IV believed that the statue addressed him and said that he would become pharaoh if he cleared the sand, which he hastened to do. Since then, the ancient Egyptians believed that the monument had prophetic powers.

Solar Boat Museum

Behind the pyramid of Cheops is the Museum of the Solar Boat, which houses a beautifully restored cedar boat, on which the body of the dead pharaoh was transported from the east to the west bank of the Nile.

Useful information for tourists

The Great Pyramid Complex of Giza is open to the public from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. The exceptions are the winter months (opening hours until 16:30) and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when access closes at 15:00.

Some travelers believe that if the pyramids are located under open sky and are not a museum in the truest sense of the word, then here you can feel free, climb and climb these structures. Remember: it is strictly forbidden to do this - in the interests of your own safety!

Before agreeing to enter the pyramids, objectively assess your psychological state and physical health. Persons who have a fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia) should skip this part of the tour. Due to the fact that inside the tombs it is usually dry, hot and a little dusty, it is not recommended to enter here for asthmatics, hypertensive patients and those suffering from other diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system.

How much will a tourist visit the Egyptian pyramids area? Cost has several components. The entrance ticket to it will cost you 60 Egyptian pounds, which is equivalent to about 8 euros. Would you like to visit the pyramid of Cheops? For this you will have to pay 100 pounds or 13 euros. Inspection from the inside of the Khafre pyramid is much cheaper - 20 pounds or 2.60 euros.

A visit to the Solar Boat Museum, which is located south of the Cheops pyramid (40 pounds or 5 euros), is also paid separately. Taking pictures in the pyramid zone is allowed, but for the right to take pictures you will have to pay 1 euro. Visiting other pyramids in Giza - for example, the mother and wife of Pharaoh Khafre - is not paid.

Many tourists admit that, after getting to know the main attractions, leaving this amazing place, literally saturated with the spirit of antiquity, you don’t want to at all. In such cases, you can rent camels for leisurely walks. Their owners wait for clients right at the foot of the pyramids. They may overcharge for their services. Do not settle for it right away, bargain, and you will get a discount.

• The Pyramid of Cheops is the only surviving wonder of the world.
• The pyramids were built for two centuries and were built several at a time. Now, according to the studies of various scientists, their age is from 4 to 10 thousand years.
• In addition to the exact mathematical proportions, the pyramids have another feature in this area. The stone blocks are arranged in such a way that there are no gaps between them at all, even the thinnest blade will not fit through.
• Each side of the pyramid is located in the direction of one side of the world.
• The Pyramid of Cheops, the largest in the world, reaches a height of 146 meters, and its weight is more than six million tons.
• If you want to know how the Egyptian pyramids were built, Interesting Facts construction can be learned from the pyramids themselves. Construction scenes are depicted on the walls of the aisles. The sides of the pyramids are curved by one meter so that they can accumulate solar energy. Thanks to this, the pyramids could reach thousands of degrees and emit an incomprehensible rumble from such incandescence.
• For the pyramid of Cheops, a perfectly straight foundation was made, so the faces differ from each other by only five centimeters.
• The first pyramid built is dated 2670 BC. e. In appearance, it resembles several pyramids located next to each other. The architect created a type of masonry that helped achieve this effect.
• The pyramid of Cheops was created from 2.3 million blocks, perfectly even and suitable friend to friend.
• Structures similar to the Egyptian pyramids are also found in Sudan, where the tradition was later picked up.
• Archaeologists managed to find the village where the pyramid builders lived. A brewery and a bakery were discovered there.

Camels in front of the Pyramids of Giza

How to get there

Tourists from Russia and the CIS countries usually prefer to spend their holidays in Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada and often want to combine their holidays on magnificent beaches with a visit to the Giza pyramid complex. Since the resorts are far enough from the named city, you can only get there as part of an excursion group. If you go by bus, then you will have to spend from 6 to 8 hours on the way. By plane it will be faster: fly in just 60 minutes. It can also be reached by car with a driver. It is much more comfortable, but it will significantly hit the wallet.

In a more advantageous position are those who rest in Cairo, or stay in the Egyptian capital on a business trip. They can take the bus (routes nos. 900 and 997) or the subway (yellow line no. 2, exit at Giza station). Alternatively, you can call a taxi or catch one at Tahrir Square. The trip will cost more than public transport, but you will get there faster, in just half an hour. By the same car it will be possible to return and back, only you will have to pay a little more.

You can get to Giza from the capital by taking a bus in the New Cairo (aka Heliopolis) area, which follows one of two routes: No. 355 or No. 357. These comfortable vehicles, plying every 20 minutes, are marked with the letters STA, by which they are easy to recognize. The final stop is just before the entrance to the pyramid zone, at the crossroads.

Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (in the Greek version of Cheops), or the Great Pyramid - the greatest of the Egyptian pyramids, the oldest of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity and the only one of them that has come down to our time. For over four thousand years, the pyramid was the largest building in the world.

The pyramid of Cheops is located in the far suburbs of Cairo Giza. Nearby are two more pyramids of the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure (Khafren and Mikerin), according to ancient historians, the sons and successors of Khufu. These are the three largest pyramids in Egypt.

Following the ancient authors, most modern historians consider the pyramids to be the burial structures of the ancient Egyptian monarchs. Some scientists believe that these were astronomical observatories. There is no direct evidence that pharaohs were buried in the pyramids, but other versions of their purpose are less convincing.

When was the pyramid of Cheops built?

Based on the ancient "royal lists", it is established that Cheops ruled around 2585-2566. BC. The construction of the "Sacred Height" lasted 20 years and ended after the death of Khufu, around 2560 BC.

Other versions of construction dates based on astronomical methods give dates from 2720 to 2577. BC. The radiocarbon method shows a spread of 170 years, from 2850 to 2680. BC.

There are also exotic opinions expressed by supporters of the theories of aliens visiting the Earth, the existence of ancient pra-civilizations, or adherents of occult currents. They determine the age of the pyramid of Cheops from 6-7 to tens of thousands of years.

How the pyramid was built

The Pyramid of Cheops is still the largest stone building on the planet. Its height is 137 m, the length of the side of the base is 230.38 m, the angle of inclination of the face is 51 ° 50 ". overall volume about 2.5 million cubic meters. At the time of completion of construction, the height was 9.5 m higher, and the side of the base was 2 m longer, however, over the past centuries, almost the entire facing of the pyramid has been dismantled. They did their job and natural factors- temperature changes and winds from the desert, carrying clouds of sand.

Ancient Greek historians reported that the labor of millions of slaves was used in the construction. Modern researchers believe that proper organization works and engineering, the Egyptians would have had several tens of thousands of workers for the construction. For the transportation of materials, temporary workers were involved, the number of which, according to Herodotus, reached 100 thousand. Modern scientists fully agree with this, as well as with the reality of a 20-year construction period.

Hemiun, the head of the royal works, supervised the construction of the pyramid. Hemiun's tomb is located next to his creation; a statue of the architect was found in it.

The main material for the construction was gray limestone, which was cut down in the nearest quarries or brought from the other side of the Nile. The pyramid was lined with light sandstone, because of which it literally shone under the sunlight. For interior decoration granite was used, which was delivered a thousand kilometers from the area of ​​\u200b\u200bpresent-day Aswan. The building was crowned with a hewn gilded granite block - a pyramidion.

In total, the construction of the pyramid took about 2.3 million blocks of limestone and 115 thousand facing plates. The total mass of the building, according to modern estimates, is almost 6 million tons.

The block sizes vary. The largest ones are laid in the base, their height is one and a half meters. The blocks are smaller the higher they are. The height of the block at the top was 55 cm. The length of the facing slabs ranged from 1.5 to 0.75 m.

The work of the pyramid builders was extremely difficult. A lot of time and effort required the extraction of stone, hewing blocks and fitting to the right size. In those days, neither iron nor bronze was known in Egypt. The tools were made of relatively soft copper, so they wore down quickly and were very expensive. Flint tools were widely used - saws, drills, hammers. Many of them were found during excavations.

Delivery of materials was carried out by river, and the stone was brought to the construction site on a wooden sled or rollers. It was a hell of a job average weight one block is 2.5 tons, and some of them weighed up to 50 tons.

For the lifting and installation of monoliths, the most various devices, and to drag up the most massive elements that make up the lower rows, inclined embankments were erected. Images construction works found in a number of Egyptian temples and tombs.

Recently, an original theory has emerged regarding the construction methods of the Egyptians. Scientists who studied the microstructure of the blocks in order to establish their origin, found foreign inclusions. According to experts, these are the remains of animal hair and human hair, from which the scientists concluded that limestone was crushed in the places of extraction and delivered in crushed form to construction site. Blocks were made directly at the place of laying from the limestone mass, which thus were a semblance of modern concrete structures, and tool marks on the blocks are actually formwork prints.

Be that as it may, the construction was completed, and the grandiose dimensions of the pyramid fully justify the supporters of the theories of the Atlanteans and aliens who do not believe in the possibility of human genius.

What is inside the pyramid

The entrance to the pyramid was made at a height of almost 16 meters in the form of an arch of granite slabs. It was later sealed with a granite cork and covered with cladding. The current entrance, 10 meters lower, was broken in 831 by order of Caliph Al-Mamun, who hoped to find gold here, but did not find anything of value.

The main premises are the pharaoh's chamber, the queen's chamber, the Great Gallery and the underground chamber. The passage punched by Al-Mamun leads to a 105-meter inclined corridor, ending in a chamber carved into the rock below the base of the pyramid. Its dimensions are 14x8 m., height 3.5 m. Works here were not completed for unknown reasons.

At 18 meters from the entrance, a 40-meter-long ascending corridor separates from the descending corridor, ending in the Great Gallery. The Gallery itself is a high (8.5 m) tunnel 46.6 m long leading to the pharaoh's chamber. The corridor to the queen's chamber branches off from the Gallery at its very beginning. A rectangular ditch 60 cm deep and 1 m wide was pierced in the floor of the Gallery; its purpose is unknown.

The length of the pharaoh's chamber is 10.5 m, width 5.4 m, height 5.84 m. It is lined with black granite slabs. Here is an empty granite sarcophagus. The queen's chamber is more modest - 5.76 x 5.23 x 6.26 m.

Channels 20-25 cm wide lead from the burial chambers to the surface of the pyramid. The channels of the king's chamber go out at one end into the room, at the other - onto the surface of the pyramid. The channels of the queen's chamber begin 13 cm from the wall and do not reach 12 m to the surface, and both ends of the channels are closed with stone doors with handles. It is assumed that the channels were made to ventilate the premises during the work. Another version, connected with the beliefs of the Egyptians, claims that this is the way to afterworld which the souls of the departed had to pass through.

No less mysterious is another small room, the Grotto, to which an almost vertical passage leads from the beginning of the Great Gallery. The grotto is located at the junction of the base of the pyramid and the hill on which it stands. The walls of the Grotto are reinforced with rather roughly worked stone. It is assumed that this is part of some structure older than the pyramid.

It is necessary to mention one discovery related to the pyramid. In 1954, at the southern edge, two stone-lined pits were discovered, in which were the pharaoh's boats, made of Lebanese cedar. One of the boats has been restored and is now in a special pavilion next to the pyramid. Its length is 43.5 m, width is 5.6 m.

The study of the pyramid of Cheops continues. Research with latest methods, used in the exploration of the earth's interior, show with a high degree of probability the existence of unknown caverns inside the pyramid. So it is quite possible that scientists expect new interesting findings and discoveries.

In the meantime, the Great Pyramid keeps its secrets, proudly rising in the middle of the desert, like millennia ago. After all, according to an ancient Arabic proverb, everything in the world is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.